Calgary Foothills FC coach discusses club’s new field house and Canadian Premier League

Calgary Foothills FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. believes his club’s new field house, with it’s FIFA-sized indoor pitch, further strengthens the state of soccer in Calgary.

“We want to improve our winter season,” said Wheeldon, during an interview with Total Soccer Project last month. “We want the real turf. We just want to help change the game and not be forced to just play in school gyms or carpeted arenas.”

Wheeldon Jr. also believes his club, along with the new field house, would be able to provide support if a Calgary team was to join the proposed Canadian Premier League.

“If a Canadian Premier League team does come to Calgary, we’re ready with an infrastructure to support it,” said Wheeldon, who also serves as Calgary Foothills Soccer Club‘s technical director. “I think the guiding principal (of the Canadian Premier League) is to provide more opportunities for Canadian players.”

“That’s not a lot of room for Canadians,” said Wheeldon. “If we (Canada) are to have a joint bid with US and Mexico for (World Cup) 2026, we actually need to develop a bigger pool of players. How do you do that? You have your own league.”

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Editor of Total Soccer Project | Photographer and Writer | Twitter: @StuartGradon |
Stuart Gradon is a multimedia professional, having worked at 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada.